storage

I’ve always loved the saying, “Love grows best in little houses.” I still believe that’s true, but geez, it is a challenge to make more storage in a small house.

We just moved from a 2900 sq ft house in Mississippi to a 2300 sq ft house in Utah. But let me tell you, there is no way this house is 2300 square feet. We owned a house that was 2400 sq feet and this is so much smaller.

I have donated, sold and even trashed as much as we possibly could, and we are still cramped.

We will be in this rental house for 2 years, so we need to make the most of it. And since I bet I’m not the only one with a lot of stuff to fit in a small house, here are my 7 must-haves to find more storage in a small house.

Over-the-door organizersYou can get the kind with plastic coated metal shelves or the kind with plastic pockets. Get creative with how and where you can use these– in kitchen pantries, bathrooms, closets, laundry rooms. And you don’t have to limit yourself to just doors. The organizers with plastic pockets could be hung on the wall and filled with anything from toys to beauty supplies.

Bookshelves and bookcasesI love decluttering, but I try to never get rid of bookshelves and bookcases. This includes cube organizers and wood closet organizers. They hold way more than just books. I have a bookshelf in a coat closet to store extra kitchen supplies and paper products. We have bookshelves under desks to store office supplies and in closets to organize bins of toys. The options are limitless.

Plastic drawersI am a huge fan of plastic drawers as long as the contents are light. We have larger sets for extension cords and power strips, medium drawers for makeup and medicine and small drawers for electronic cables and hair accessories.

Shelf organizersIf you aren’t using these in your cabinets and closets, go get some right now. Dollar Tree and Walmart are great places to get these metal shelves for pretty cheap. I have always used them in my kitchen cabinets, but I’ve also put them in my pantry, bedroom dresser and closet.

Under-the-bed storage boxesIt’s easy to forget about unused space under the bed, but if you snag a few plastic storage boxes you can keep all kinds of things under your bed. Any of these items can be stored under the bed: photo albums, workout clothes, gift wrapping supplies, extra paper products, board games or shoes.

Specialty storage piecesTake advantage of bakers racks and over-the-toilet shelves to gain a bit more storage in rooms where you typically have a lot of stuff. The same goes for closet organizers that allow you to double your hanging space.

Clear shoe boxesI’m probably a little OCD because I like to keep my shoes in clear boxes so I can see them easily. But you can also use shoeboxes for things like toys, crafting supplies, hair tools and makeup, electronics, fridge bins, snacks, or light bulbs.

And here’s a bonus tip for you: Turn every item you can into storage. Get end tables that have cabinets or shelves underneath. Use a trunk for a coffee table. Turn a curio cabinet into storage (a place for extra linens, in my case). Make every item you buy do double duty.

Small houses can be adorable, but you do have to get very creative about storage.

My husband tried to apologize for renting us a small house, but I said, “There’s nothing I like better than getting rid of stuff and organizing.”

If you have an organizing problem at your house, I’d love to help. Send me a picture to defeatingbusy@gmail.com or DM me on Facebook or Instagram. Let’s see if I can offer you a few tips to help you free up more space in your home.

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About Me

My name is Ashley. I’m the wife of the best guy on the planet, the mom of two crazy girls and a lover of all things country music, reading and group fitness. And I’m super passionate about helping you simplify your life so you can spend more time doing the things you love.